Covid’s impact on young people will linger long after pandemic
We have little to look forward to in near future,
WHEN Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced the extension of Level 5 restrictions on Tuesday, you could almost hear the collective sigh from a fed-up, exhausted nation.
Although we face a few weeks of intense lockdown, the Living with Covid plan was laden with minor compensations for many.
For parents, there may have been a wave of relief as the Taoiseach confirmed schools and childcare would be reopening on a phased basis.
A passing remark from Tánaiste Leo Varadkar at a party meeting also gave hope to sport fans that intercounty GAA would likely return in April.
But as social media lit up following the address, it occurred to me that the new plan outlined by the Government failed to provide any leniency towards the younger generation.
For many 20-somethings like myself, the plan offers nothing more than a further five weeks of not seeing friends, going on yet more daily walks within our 5km and spending weekends holed up inside our living rooms playing card games.
As my housemates and I gather around the couch to watch yet another Netflix series on a Friday night, we often find ourselves reminiscing on the pre-Covid days – a wave of nostalgia hitting us like a ton of bricks as we fondly recall camping out at music festivals and boarding cheap Ryanair flights.
This time last year, a typical Friday night would usually start by piling into the back of a taxi which would drop us off at a queue that sprawls down a bustling street, which would lead into a venue with a crowded dance floor.
As we face into our second St Patrick’s Day with no parade or pubs, our anecdotes from a pre-Covid era are a far cry from our current reality where a jaunt to the nearest park is considered the pinnacle of our day.
And I am likely in a far more desirable position than many of my millennial counterparts.
At least I am house-sharing with friends. Stoneybatter’s numerous amenities and the idyllic Phoenix Park are right on my doorstep.
For many Gen-Zers, the pandemic has meant moving back in with parents while on the cusp of adulthood, job hunting in a time of grave economic uncertainty and applying for the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
There is great anticipation for previously common joys such as going to gigs, eating out at restaurants and trips to the cinema.
But there is no doubt that the pandemic has created a sense of cynicism amongst the younger generation who are facing a declining economy with a limited job market and a ravaged health system.
The psychological aftermath that this health crisis will leave on young people will linger long after the virus has passed.
It is crucial that the Government offer some semblance of recognition towards the irrevocable sacrifices that have been made by young people over the past 12 months.
The easing of minor restrictions, such as a fixed limit on outdoor gatherings, would be welcome.
It would be valued so much by the young generation, many of whom are struggling to see any light at the end of the tunnel from the four walls of their bedrooms.